In gas welding, it is not uncommon for small and minute pieces of metal, commonly called "spatter", to collect within and about the outlet end of a welding torch through which oxygen and acetylene gas pass to the weld pool.
In a conventional welding apparatus, the operator takes a hammer or the like and bangs it against the welding torch nozzle--of metal, in an effort to dislodge the spatter. Such weld material or spatter continues to build up, and the constant interruptions to dislodge the material seriously affect the efficiency of the welding operation.
One attempt to overcome the above problem has been the application of a coating of liquid containing silicon to the inner surface of the welding nozzle, however no effective mechanism for applying same is known. Another attempt is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,994 to van der Willigen et al. In this patent, a ball is arranged to strike the welding nozzle in response to a cam-operated mechanism activated by the movement of a welding wire continually fed to the nozzle. Yet another method of cleaning the welding nozzle is to ream its interior. This latter method has the disadvantage of scoring the inside of the nozzle, which scoring permits a more aggressive adhering of the spatter to the scored interior. Also, reaming frequently catches and destroys the welding wire in the torch during the cleaning cycle, causing unacceptable intervention in automatic welding operations.
These attempts do not lend themselves to contemporary welding apparatus which is carried and directed by computer-controlled robotic equipment, and it is therefore the primary object of this invention to provide an efficient and effective welding nozzle cleaning apparatus adapted for use with robotic controlled welding apparatus.